Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 5 of 5
Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network
Rna Analysis As A Method To Determine The Age Of A Biological Sample, Stacey E. Anderson
Rna Analysis As A Method To Determine The Age Of A Biological Sample, Stacey E. Anderson
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
DNA analysis by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) allows for the unambiguous identification of the person from whom a biological sample was derived but provides no information about when the sample was deposited. The ability to determine the age of blood or a biological sample would be of significant benefit to the forensic science community. This would provide a temporal linkage between the blood of the perpetuator and the commission of a crime or it could be used to exclude evidence that does not correspond to the time a crime was committed. It was hypothesized that ex vivo RNA decay was …
Mechanisms Of Retroviral Reverse Transcription And Assembly, Sara Kirsten Rasmussen
Mechanisms Of Retroviral Reverse Transcription And Assembly, Sara Kirsten Rasmussen
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
The work described in these dissertation studies examines three aspects of retrovirus replication and dissects the uncovered phenomena to increase understanding of how retroviruses thrive in complex host environments. The first aspect of replication discussed is the mechanisms behind minus-strand DNA transfer, a crucial step of reverse transcription. We proved for the first time that non-viral sequences can be utilized to carry out this step of the replication process, and that the minus-strand DNA transfer step can be exploited to reconstitute a functional gene in the infected host cell. This finding serves as a proof-of-principle for a new class of …
Identification And Functional Characterization Of Cataract-Specific Gene Expression Changes Reveals Important Pathways For Human Lens Maintenance, Aging And Disease, John R. Hawse Iv
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
Human age-related cataract, and opacity of the eye lens, is a multifactorial disease with a poorly understood etiology and is the leading cause of world blindness and low vision. It has been estimated that any therapy that could delay the onset of age-related cataract by ten years would halve the number of individuals requiring surgery in their lifetime. To accomplish such a feat, it is essential to understand the molecular mechanisms and biological pathways associated with this disease. Here, I describe the global gene expression profiles of human age-related cataracts compared to clear lenses, differentiate these changes from those that …
Molecular Modeling And Experimental Determination Of The Structure Of C8 -Arylguanine Modified Oligonucleotides That Preferentially Adopt The Z -Dna Conformation, Sue Ellen Heavner
Molecular Modeling And Experimental Determination Of The Structure Of C8 -Arylguanine Modified Oligonucleotides That Preferentially Adopt The Z -Dna Conformation, Sue Ellen Heavner
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
Thermal denaturation, circular dichroism, and NMR have been used extensively in conformational studies of oligonucleotides. Molecular modeling has become a powerful, if not essential, complement to these experimental techniques. To study the effects of C8-arylated purine adducts caused by carcinogenic aryl hydrazines we combined the two approaches. Two oligonucleotides were prepared, an unmodified oligonucleotide d(5'CGCGCGCGCG 3') and a C8-phenylguanine modified oligonucleotide d( 5'CGCGCG*CGCG3') (G* = 8-phenylguanine). These oligonucleotides were compared using thermal denaturation, circular dichroism, and NMR. The phenyl modification destabilizes the B DNA form and stabilizes the Z DNA form such that the B:Z ratio is near one under …
Insertion Of Genes And Operons Into The Escherichia Coli Genome Through Targeted Recombination, Dennis Coss
Insertion Of Genes And Operons Into The Escherichia Coli Genome Through Targeted Recombination, Dennis Coss
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
A method whereby DNA sequences of varying size may be accurately inserted into pre-determined locations within the Escherichia coli genome was developed. Using a binary vector system that takes advantage of either the E. coli RecET enzyme tandem or bacteriophage lambda's Redalphabeta recombinatory proteins, this method has the benefits of being both inducible and self-degrading, thereby offering a level of control to the experimenter as well as alleviating any problems that may be associated with leaving residual DNA in the bacterium. To demonstrate the usability of this system, two antibiotic resistance genes, as well as the pyrroloquinoline quinone (pqq) and …